WorldSBK famously crowned Jonathan Rea as World Superbike Champion in 2015, but four other riders also won titles in the paddock.

In Chapter 1 of Champions Week, we start with Javier Orellana who gloriously won the title in the Pata European Junior Cup – Powered by Honda.

Who is Javier Orellana?
The 2015 Champion of the Pata European Junior Cup – Powered by Honda. He hails from Madrid, is 18 years of age and has been around the WorldSBK paddock since 2012. He finished runner-up in the 2014 title race but the big year was 2015 as he took the category by storm, with five wins and seven podium finishes from the eight races to be staged.

How did he win the 2015 title?
Dominantly. No less than 56 points ahead of the next closest rider, despite notable scares. Having won four of the first five races of the season (he was third in the other one), he was in a position to easily cement the crown in June. It was then that he went to Misano, where a coming together just a few corners from home left him in the gravel trap and having to wait until September. In Jerez, the title was all but sealed when fluid leaked onto his rear tyre at the very last corner; somehow, he avoid a highside and did collect the silverware!

What will he be doing next year?
We can’t tell you at the moment. Nothing is confirmed yet…

Did you know?
In 2014, when Orellana finished second in the Cup, it was won by his best friend Augusto Fernandez. This year, Fernandez raced in Superstock 600. The pair often dine together in the paddock and share riding tips. They are the only two Spanish riders to win titles in the WorldSBK fraternity since Carlos Checa became World Superbike Champion in 2011.